New England Automotive Report August 2014

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PAIDWest Caldw

ell, NJPerm

it No. 247

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MASSACHUSETTS

BUILDING THE SUCCESS OF THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY

ALSO IN THIS ISSUEGroove Or Rut?Brodeur’s Auto Body Branches Out

2 August 2014 New England Automotive Report

New England Automotive Report August 2014 5

FEATURES 28 | The 2015 Ford F-150: Your Questions Answered

40 | The FUN Season: Inside AASP/MA’s FallEvent Schedule

DEPARTMENTSVICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE8 | AASP/MA’s Legislative Strategy Needs Your Voice!by Molly Brodeur

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE16 | Repairing Outside the Insurer’s Estimateby James A. Castleman, Esq.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT20 | Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your (Enrollment) Engines!by Tye Elliott, vice president of Core BrokerSales, Aflac

LOCAL NEWS24 | Veteran Repairer Buys First

Employer’s Building

33 | AASP/MA Member Named Massachusetts Family Business of the Year37 | AASP/MA Member Brings Consumer Message to Radio, TV

180BIZ FEATURE49 | Groove or Rut?by Rick White

CONTENTS

10 | A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR11 | AASP/MA MIDSTATE CHAPTER BBQ NOTICE12 | AASP/MA WESTERN CHAPTER CLAMBAKE NOTICE

13 | AASP/MA ANNUAL CASINO NIGHT NOTICE19 | AASP/MA SUSTAINING SPONSORS58 | INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

August 2014 • Volume 12, No. 8

ALSO THIS ISSUE

40

33

MASSACHUSETTS




STAFF

EDITORJoel Gausten ([email protected])

PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc.244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Nutley, NJ 07110 Corporate: (973) 667-6922 / FAX: (973) 235-1963

www.grecopublishing.com

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPRESIDENTPaul Hendricks

VICE PRESIDENTMolly Brodeur

SECRETARYGary Cloutier

ACTING TREASURERMolly Brodeur

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTRick Starbard

AASP/MA STATEWIDE DIRECTORSCOLLISION DIVISION DIRECTORAdam Ioakim

ASSOCIATE DIVISION DIRECTORDon Cushing

AASP/MA CHAPTER DIRECTORSN/E CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORAlex Falzone

S/E CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORKevin Gallerani

S/E CHAPTER MECHANICAL DIRECTORMichael Penacho

MIDSTATE CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORTom Ricci

WESTERN CHAPTER COLLISION DIRECTORPeter Langone

WESTERN CHAPTER MECHANICAL DIRECTOREd Nalewanski

PUBLISHERThomas Greco ([email protected])

MANAGING EDITORAlicia Figurelli ([email protected])

ART DIRECTORLea Velocci ([email protected])

PRODUCTION Sofia Cabrera ([email protected])

WWW.AASPMA.ORG

AASP/MA EXECUTIVE DIRECTORJillian M. Zywien

12 Post Office Square, 6th Floor • Boston, MA 02109

phone: (617) 574-0741 Fax: (617) 695-0173

Email: [email protected]

MASSACHUSETTS


New England Automotive Report is published monthly by TGP, Inc., 244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110. Distributed free to qualified recipients; $48 to all others. Additional copies of New Eng-land Automotive Report are available at $5 per copy. Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission of the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearingin this magazine are not necessarily representations of TGP Inc. or of AASP/MA. Copyright © 2014 by Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Images: Cover ©www.thinkstockphoto.com/Lonely_.

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Save the Dates forNORTHEAST® 2015!MARCH 20, 21, 22

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AASp/MA’s legislative Strategy needs your voice!

As I write this message, we are mere days away fromthe end of the formal Massachusetts Legislative Session onJuly 31. I’ve received a couple of calls from our membersasking the status of AASP/MA’s issues in the legislativesystem - particularly, our Labor Rate Bill. While unfortu-nately the Bill has been “sent to study” - which, for all in-tents and purposes, could mean the Bill is in fact dead - I’dlike to let our members and readers in on our timeline withthis legislation, as well as provide some insights as towhere we will go from here.

AASP/MA’s Labor Rate Bill favorably passed out ofthe House at the conclusion of its 2012 Session. We filed theBill (in the same language that had passed out of theHouse) in January of 2013. At the time, our Bill had a pow-erful sponsor in Kathi Ann Reinstein. Not only did KathiAnn have close relationships with those in power at theState House - such as House Speaker Robert DeLeo - butshe was also a true champion for our cause, not to mentionthe collision repair industry at-large. When Kathi Annstepped down from her position in January 2014 to pursuea career in the private sector, she voiced her intent to helpus find a “replacement” sponsor for our Bill. Unfortunately,

we were unable to find our new champion, and in March,two months following Kathi Ann’s departure, were in-formed by Chairman of the Joint Committee on FinancialServices Michael Costello (who has since resigned andmoved to the private sector himself) that our Bill had beensent back to study. We made a strategic decision to move onand tackle multiple issues in other areas of concern. Tomove the Bill back out of study would have drained our re-sources.

As I’m sure you have read in Executive Director JillianZywien’s reports over the past few months, AASP/MA hasbeen making strides in chipping away at the issues we holddear, including working with the Commonwealth AutoReinsurers (CAR) to change language in their PerformanceStandards that will benefit the collision repair industry inMassachusetts. Further, we have secured meetings with theDivision of Insurance, and have an ongoing dialogue on anumber of matters. Our current strategy is to take smallsteps in a number of directions, in hopes of identifying andrectifying areas of concern for our members. And that’swhere you come in.


AASP/MA Vice PresidentMolly Brodeur is the

Chief Operating Officer ofAl Brodeur’s Auto Body in

Marlborough, MA. She can bereached at (508) 485-1082 or

[email protected].

MASSACHUSETTS


CAll To ACTion!

AASP/MA’s Legislative Commit-tee will be meeting formally in earlySeptember to determine our course ofaction for 2015. In the meantime, Iwould like to encourage members andnon-members alike to contact eitherthe AASP/MA Office or any of themembers of our Legislative Commit-tee to voice your concerns on any is-sues you face on a daily basis in yourshop. We are certainly aware thatLabor Rate is a huge one, but I urgeyou to please get in touch on issues inaddition to that. If you’re experiencingsomething and feel a remedy isneeded, let us know. These items willbe brought to the Legislative Commit-tee and will help us plan what shouldbe filed in the coming Session. Pleasetake a moment and contact any of themembers below; your voice will helpchart our course of fighting for you inthe coming months.

AASP/MA Legislative Committee:

Molly [email protected]

Adam [email protected]

Rick [email protected]

Peter [email protected]

Ed [email protected]

Kevin [email protected]


A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

AASp/MA Kicks off Fall Season

with packed event ScheduleDear Members,

I am sure you will agree that this summer season flewby. I cannot believe August is already here! As we quicklyapproach the fall, I am looking forward to a number ofevents and educational program offerings that we haveworked all summer long to put together.

The MidState Chapter BBQ will kick off the start of fallon Friday, September 5 at the Hudson Elks in Hudson. Lastyear’s event was a huge success. This fun-filled, familyevent will feature children’s raffle prizes, games and enter-tainment and great food provided by Firefly’s BBQ. Asmany of you are aware, the proceeds of the MidState Chap-ter BBQ help to fund our Tool Grant award. Our Tool Grantis awarded each year to deserving vocational tech studentspursuing a career in the collision industry. To purchaseyour tickets, or to find out about unique sponsorship op-portunities, please see page 11 of thisissue or visit http://aaspma.org/

mid-state-chapter-bbq-2014.Following the BBQ, the Western

Chapter will host their annual Clam-bake on Friday, September 26 at thePolish-American Club in FeedingHills. As always, the Clambake willfeature a giant raffle, shop ownerprizes, and a 50/25/25 raffle. Do notmiss this exciting event for a chance to win great prizes, eatgreat food and spend a fun evening with your fellow shopowners. Support your industry and register TODAY! Visithttp://aaspma.org/western-chapter-clambake-2014 formore information.

AASP/MA’s fourth quarter statewide meeting will beheld on Tuesday, September 9 at the Doubletree in West-boro. We have put together a panel of experts on aluminumvehicles and repairs. The program will feature Larry Mon-tanez of P&L Consulting, Jason Bartanen of I-CAR and arepresentative from Ford Motors who will perform ademonstration. I am really looking forward to this eventbecause I know our members are eager to learn more aboutrepairing these new vehicles, the potential costs of addi-tional equipment requirements and training programs for

their technicians. Our Events Committee is constantly ask-ing for members’ feedback on educational programs. Ifthere is a program you would like to see the associationoffer, please feel free to contact us today at (617) 574-0741.

Crowing the fall season is our Casino Night event atthe Putnam Club at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Novem-ber 15. Please see this month’s cover story and our flyer onpage 13 for more information on this highly-anticipatedevent. Our Casino Night will sell out, so please purchaseyour tickets online today at http://aaspma.org/

uncategorized/casino-night-2014-gillette-stadium.Lastly, I am pleased to announce that the association of-

fices will be moving at the end of this month. AASP/MAwill be relocating to 12 Post Office Square, 6th Floor. Thisoffice upgrade will offer 700 square feet of conference

space, convenient parking and build-ing access. Our new space will allowour clients access to free conferencespace for meetings, seminars and ed-ucational programs. Please look tofuture issues of New England Automo-tive Report and our Damage Reportnewsletter for more information.

There are a lot of exciting thingsoccurring at AASP/MA. If you are

not a current member of the association, please considerjoining today or attend some of our fall programs. Becomea strong voice in building the success of the auto repair in-dustry.

Sincerely,

Jillian ZywienAASP/MA Executive Director

AASP/MA Executive DirectorJillian Zywien has been a

senior account executive atLynch Associates for over six

years. She can be reached at(617) 574-0741 or via email at

[email protected].

Midstate Chapter BBQ: Sept. 5http://aaspma.org/mid-state-

chapter-bbq-2014/

Western Chapter Clambake: Sept. 26http://aaspma.org/western-chapter-

clambake-2014

AASP/MA Annual Casino Night: Nov. 15http://aaspma.org/uncategorized/ casino-night-2014-gillette-stadium

visit the following links to register for upcoming AASp/MA events:

MASSACHUSETTS



Friday, September 26, 2014polish American Club, Feeding hills, MA

$30 per perSon

2014 AASp/MA weSTern ChApTer AnnUAl ClAMBAKe

Giant Raffle! Great Shop Owner Prizes!50/25/25 Raffle

5:45pm Doors Open! (Cash bar)6:00pm Clam chowder served!6:30pm Dinner (steamed clams, a complete

BBQ chicken dinner & dessert!)

7:30pm Gold Sponsor Live Check presentation followed by our infamous Giant Raffle!

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE!!AASP/MA’s Western Chapter is once again sponsoring our Annual Clambake on Friday, September 26 at the Polish American Club inFeeding Hills. We have several sponsorship options available and would welcome multiple sponsors for each category. For more information, please call any committee member as soon as possible, but certainly no later than September 17. Sorry, but we cannotguarantee that your sponsorship or raffle prize will be printed in the brochure if we don’t hear from you by September 17.

Mike Beal: (413) 562-6764

Mike Boucher: (413) 525-4201

gary Cloutier: (413) 568-3441

dan lamontagne: (413) 268-3044

peter langone: (413) 786-4777

Andre Marcoux: (413) 733-7134

ed nalewanski: (413) 527-7622

don vermette: (413) 786-8226

paul Zollner (west Springfield Auto parts): (413) 335-1666

ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH SEPT. 19! SORRY...NO DOOR SALES

gold SponSor: $500• Company name/logo on all publicity • Company logo on cover of prize brochure• Your banner displayed on wall• Live check presentation (picture published in New England Automotive Report

& Damage Report newsletter)• 2 complimentary clambake tickets

Silver SponSor: $300• Company name listed in prize brochure • Your banner displayed on wall • Live expression of gratitude• 1 complimentary clam bake ticket

BronZe SponSor: $200• Your banner displayed on wall• Live expression of gratitude, company name listed in prize brochure

Shop owner SponSorShip: Donate a gift and we will draw one name from all the shop owners in attendance. Items in the past have included a masking machine, a laser fax/copier, aspray gun, an insulated coverall, RMC subscriptions, I-CAR classes and a basket ofsupplies. Or, donate approximately 35 items and present your gift personally toeach shop owner. • Live expression of gratitude• Company name listed in a special category in the prize brochure.

generAl rAFFle priZe: Donate a raffle prize or two and your company name will be listed in the prizebrochure. In years past, companies have donated items such as gas grills, copy ma-chines, golf bags, televisions, apparel, coolers, gift certificates to restaurants andstores, car cleaning kits, etc. All donations will be labeled to announce your supportof AASP/MA.

2014 Clambake Committee:

TO DONATE A RAFFLE PRIZE, PURCHASE TICKETS OR INQUIRE ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS, PLEASE CALL ANY COMMITTEE MEMBER!

THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS (AS OF JULY 25):

• ABSAP• AkzoNobel• Axalta Coating Systems • Bald Hill Dodge/Chrysler/ Jeep/KIA

• Balise Wholesale Parts Express

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car

• Hoffman Auto Group• LKQ• Long Automotive Group • Sarat Ford Lincoln• Sherwin-Williams • Transtar• West Springfield Auto Parts


LEGAL PERSPECTIVErepAiring oUTSide oF

The inSUrer’S eSTiMATe by James A. Castleman, Esq.

I’ve noticed a certain issue coming to the forefront inthe Massachusetts collision repair industry that I believedhad been resolved many years ago. I had thought insurerswould have accepted by now that repair shops do not haveto perform repairs the way the insurance appraiser writesthe job. But as I recently discovered, I guess I am wrong.

BACKgroUndLast month, I was contacted by a repair shop that had

taken in a damaged vehicle with some pre-existing, poorlyrepaired damage, as well as significant new damage causedby a recent collision. The customer wanted both parts of thecar fixed, but did not want to pay the shop any more thanthe total amount that their insurer would agree to pay forthe new damage. The shop agreed to do what the vehicleowner wanted, but told the customer up front that theywould have to make repairs in a manner different fromwhat the insurer would allow. The shop wrote a brief de-scription of what it would do and had the customer sign arepair order, approving repairs to be done in whatevermanner the shop wanted to make them and specificallywaiving their right to know the exact repairs to be made solong as the cost did not exceed a specified dollar amount.

An insurance appraiser came out and appraised thecost to repair the new damage, and subsequently also nego-tiated a supplement requested by the shop. The shop re-re-paired the old damage and also repaired the new damage,but did so in a manner different from what the insuranceappraiser had written. In particular, the shop had repaireda door and some other items, rather than replace them asthe insurance appraiser had written. The shop had other-wise accomplished repairs in a satisfactory manner, al-though not necessarily as would have put the car into truepre-accident condition as written by the insurance ap-praiser. The shop prepared a final bill for the customer,itemizing exactly what repairs it had actually made, with abottom line price equaling what the insurer had paid(which was just below what the customer had authorizedas a maximum price). The customer picked up their car anddrove out of the shop, apparently quite pleased with thework that had been done.

The insurer found out that the shop had not made re-pairs as its appraiser had written, and apparently was nothappy about it. In particular, the insurer was angered bythe fact that the shop had requested certain repairs that theinsurer’s appraiser had written in his supplement that theshop did not then perform. Purportedly on behalf of the

vehicle owner, the insurer had their attorney write a letterto the shop, demanding reimbursement for the repairs ithad written that had not been made. The insurer essentiallyalleged that the shop had acted fraudulently because it hadnot made the repairs it had negotiated with its appraiser,yet had accepted the full amount of payment made by theinsurer. The shop owner then came to see me, and I haveresponded on the shop’s behalf.

The governing lAwInsurance personnel should understand by now how

the “direct payment” system of settling insured auto dam-age claims works in Massachusetts, as set out in governingregulations:

On a collision or comprehensive claim, the insurer isobligated to pay their insured the full amount (less any de-ductible) of the cost of repair, as described in an appraisalwritten by the insurer’s appraiser. The insurer is addition-ally obligated pay the amounts determined by their ap-praiser in any supplemental appraisal. But, the claimant maythen elect to not repair the vehicle at all, or may elect to havedifferent repairs made or to have them made in a differentmanner. The election of the claimant to have no repairs ordifferent repairs made does not excuse the insurer frompaying the full amount necessary to repair the vehicle aswritten by their appraiser. It does allow the insurer, how-ever, to reduce the insured actual cash value of the vehicleby the amount of the repairs not made.

Unless it is a referral shop, a repair shop also has no ob-ligation whatsoever to make repairs the way the insuranceappraiser wrote them. The shop’s obligation is to make re-pairs the way their customer wants them made. It is a vio-lation of the Attorney General’s consumer protectionregulations for a collision repair shop to make repairs in amanner that differs from what their customer hasrequested and authorized, no matter what the insurance

“”

i thought insurers would have

accepted by now that repair shops do

not have to perform repairs the way

the insurance appraiser writes the job.

BUT i gUeSS i AM wrong.


MASSACHUSETTS


Attorney James Castleman is a

managing member of Paster, Rice &

Castleman, LLC in Quincy, MA. He

can be reached at (617) 472-3424 or at

[email protected].

appraiser has written in his or her appraisal. (For a referralshop, there may be a dilemma if the customer requests thatrepairs be made in a manner different from what their in-surer has written. This depends on what the shop’s referralcontract says.)

Under the Attorney General’s regulation, a repair shopis supposed to record on their repair order the repairs re-quested by their customer, or, alternatively, a brief descrip-tion of the problems that caused the customer to bring thevehicle to the shop. As explained in detail in prior NewEngland Automotive Report articles I have written, the shopmay then properly obtain their customer’s authorizationfor repairs to be made in one of four designated manners.As utilized by the repair shop referred to in this article, oneof the ways to obtain proper authorization is to have thecustomer sign a written waiver (with a separate signatureand with specific language set out in the Attorney Gen-eral’s regulation) leaving it up to the shop to make repairsrequested by the customer in whatever manner the shopchooses, so long as the total amount for repairs does not ex-ceed a specific dollar amount agreed to by the customer.

The shop is then required to render a final bill to theircustomer, setting out an itemization of the repairs that wereactually performed and the total price charged. The item-ization must have a list of all parts used in the repair, theprice charged for each such part and whether the part wasnew, used, reconditioned or rebuilt. Additionally, the num-ber of labor hours charged and the amount charged for thehours must be listed. The shop referred to in this article didexactly what is required.

One of the allegations the insurer made was that the re-pair shop had requested that certain parts be replaced andthat repairs be done in a certain manner, and had con-vinced the insurance appraiser to write his appraisal ac-cordingly. They claimed it was then somehow improper forthe shop to not use those parts or make repairs in that man-ner. The insurer alleged that this somehow violated theAuto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board regulations.

Nothing in the ADALB regulations makes such actionson the part of the repair shop illegal or improper. TheADALB regulations assume that both the repair shop ap-praiser and the insurance appraiser are competent profes-sionals who should know what is needed to repair avehicle back into pre-accident condition. And as is wellknown in the industry, the two appraisers are then requiredto “attempt to agree” on the cost of repair. Nothing in theregulation then requires the shop to make repairs accordingto a negotiated appraisal, whether or not the appraised costof repair has been agreed upon.

According to the insurer, the shop’s actions also consti-tuted a facilitation of the overpayment of the claim by theinsurer, which is illegal. The problem is that there was nooverpayment of the claim. What the insurer paid was whatwas actually necessary to properly repair the customer’s

car to pre-accident condition, as was recognized by the in-surer’s appraiser in his own, independently written ap-praisal. Just because lesser repairs could be accomplishedat the request of the customer and performed in a differentmanner does not mean that there was an overpayment ofthe claim. It just means that the customer was willing tolive with a car repaired to less than pre-accident condition,if that could be done for less money.

The insurer further alleged that the collision repairshop had violated the Division of Insurance regulationsthat set out Standards for the Repair of Damaged Motor Ve-hicles. In particular, the insurer said that the repair shophad improperly convinced the insurance appraiser to writefor the replacement of certain parts when, in fact, the partscould have been repaired. The Division’s regulations re-quire an appraiser to specify repair instead of replacement,unless the part is damaged beyond repair, or the repaircosts more, or the operational safety of the vehicle might beimpaired.

The problem with the insurer’s allegations in this re-gard are at least twofold: First, it was the insurer’s own ap-praiser who wrote for replacement instead of repair.Second, it is not clear that the Division of Insurance Stan-dards for Repair regulations even apply to collision repairshop appraisers. After all, repair shops are not governed bythe Division of Insurance. Rather, they are governed by theDivision of Standards, and, to some degree, by the Attor-ney General and the ADALB.

The bottom line is that it appears to me that the repairshop that came to me for representation did nothingwrong. It was the insurer that did not understand what thelaw requires.

ConClUSionThe last line of the book The Great Gatsby is: “So we

beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselesslyinto the past.” It is time for the auto insurers in Massachu-setts to stop being borne back ceaselessly into the past, andto finally understand that collision repair shops are re-quired to perform repairs in the manner that their cus-tomers request, not in the manner that an insuranceappraiser has written.


Contact AASP/MA at (617) 574-0741 / [email protected] for information on becoming an AASP/MA sponsor!

2014 AASP/MA NEWSLETTER SPONSOR

AASP/MA ASKS YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

WOLPERTINSURANCE


SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

It’s midsummer, and engines are running hot – not juston the racetrack, but throughout the nation as temperaturessoar and the asphalt shimmers. For most people, beatingthe heat means moving a bit slower, savoring an ice-colddrink and lingering in the path of an old-fashioned fan.

Hold it right there!As an employer or business decision-maker, you

shouldn’t slam the brakes on planning. Summer is the timeto crank up the air conditioner and get to work on yourcompany’s benefits plan. While late fall is generally associ-ated with open enrollment, decision-makers should exam-ine their offerings now – long before it’s too late to makechanges that directly affect the financial well-being of em-ployees. Here are a few things to consider:

employees have benefits on the brain. Each year,Aflac conducts the Aflac WorkForces Report (http://work-

forces.aflac.com), which asks employers and employeesto share their opinions about health care issues and bene-fits. The 2014 study shows that workers’ interest in bene-fits options is high, driven largely by steady increases indeductibles and copayments.1

workers are worried. Although 41 percent of Aflacstudy participants said maintaining their health care ben-efits is of primary importance, the price of doing so is abudget-buster: The Kaiser Family Foundation reports thatpremiums have increased 80 percent since 2003, nearlythree times as fast as wages and inflation.2 Employees arefeeling the strain: 10 percent told Aflac that high medicalcosts have affected their credit scores, and 13 percenthave been contacted by collection agencies about unpaidmedical bills.

Strong benefits reflect well on your organization. TheAflac study found that successful companies believestrong benefits packages are important to workers.They’re correct: 80 percent of employees say their overallbenefits packages influence their engagement on the joband with their organizations. They also say benefits influ-ence workplace well-being and employer reputations.

voluntary insurance benefits are striking a chord

with workers. Some employers leave voluntary insur-ance policies off their benefits menus because they don’tbelieve workers are interested in such plans, but the Aflacstudy revealed that 88 percent of employees consider vol-untary insurance options an important part of a compre-hensive benefits plan. Even more importantly, 52 percentwho do not currently have access to voluntary insurancebenefits say they’d be likely to purchase them if their em-ployers made such plans available.

Make decisions today that affect your company to-

morrow. Wise employers are already meeting with insur-ance agents and brokers to determine what changesthey’ll make to their benefits plans before this fall’s openenrollment. If your company is thinking about addingvoluntary insurance to its benefits roster, consider that

1. The 2014 Aflac WorkForces Report is the fourth annual Aflac employee benefits study examining benefits trends and attitudes. The study, conducted in January 2014 by Research Now, captured responses from 1,856 benefits decision-makers and 5,209 employees from across the United States.

2. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (2013), “Employer-Sponsored Family Health Premiums Rise a Modest 4 Percent in 2013, National Benchmark Employer Survey Finds,” accessed April 3, 2014 - kff.org/private-insurance/press-release/employer-sponsored-family-health-premiums-rise-a-modest-4-

percent-in-2013-national-benchmark-employer-survey-finds

ladies and gentlemen, Start

your (enrollment) enginesBy Tye Elliott, vice president of Core Broker Sales at Aflac

employees who participated in theAflac study and who agree there’s agrowing need for voluntary insur-ance benefits say coverage helpswith challenges such as rising med-ical and coverage costs, increasingdeductibles and copayments andchanges to their benefits plans as aresult of health care reform.

Remember: It may be hot out-side, but you can keep things coolwith your workers – and lure topnew talent – by offering a sizzlingarray of benefits options.

Tye Elliott, a 20-year insurance indus-try veteran, is Aflac’s vice president ofCore Broker Sales. He is responsible for

managing and implementing strategicsales initiatives for the Core Broker Salesdivision across the United States. Visitwww.aflac.com/brokers, call (888)861-0251 or send an email to [email protected] to learn more.

Locally, Aflac is sponsoring

AASP/MA, providing dedicated

personal service on-site to help

with all aspects of their benefits

needs. Members now have access

to Guaranteed Issue products like

Short Term Disability, Life Insur-

ance, Critical Illness & Accident

that they have not had access to

before, and all at the employer’s

preferred rate. No matter what

their current health status or prior

problems may be, members can get

the coverage they need for them-

selves and their family. For more

information, please contact Evan

Cross, district sales coordinator

(MA – Boston) at (508) 523-3047

(mobile), (617) 345-9044 (fax) or

[email protected].

MASSACHUSETTS




LOCAL NEWS

in 1969, a young repairer named Al Brodeur kickstarted his auto body

career by landing a job at South Street Auto parts in Marlboro. More than

four decades later, he has returned to where it all began.

Last October, Brodeur – who has helmed different incarnations of AlBrodeur’s Auto Body since 1970 – purchased the old South Street

building (which had changed ownership over the years) and itssurrounding 1.5 acres in an effort to expand his long-running

business. With his main shop on Mill Street (a staple of theMarlboro community for 30 years) growing in popularity

every day, he seized the opportunity to take on a secondlocation.

“All we do is body work there [at the othershop],” he explains. “The body industry is chang-ing, and we had to diversify and start getting intomore of the work that we used to send out to haveother people do. We wanted to get more involvedin doing mechanical repairs.”

In addition to already bringing in three newhires, Al Brodeur’s South Street Auto offers city

towing services, a special detailing area and an out-door Quonset hut that will be used for smaller jobs.

Once fully completed, the second shop will allow Alto nearly double the number of vehicles he can workon at a given time.

While Al Brodeur’s South Street Auto will featureconsiderable innovation, it will also boast a nod to thepast: “Little Princess,” Al’s original tow truck from theold days, proudly sits in the front of the building.

veteran repairer Buys

First employer’s Building

Clockwise from top: Al Brodeur and his

daughter Molly are expanding their

business in new and exciting ways;

The new shop’s Quonset hut will

handle smaller repair jobs;

“little princess:” A local legend for 45 years.


Although the auto body industry sees its fair share ofups and downs (especially in a difficult market like Massa-chusetts), the Brodeur enterprise has continued to thrive byalways delivering a level of service above and beyond thenorm.

“Dad has a reputation for being an honest personwho’s operated his business with integrity and who doesnot lie, cheat and steal,” offers Al’s daughter (and currentAASP/MA Vice President) Molly Brodeur, who has beenwith the business since 2006. “He’s prided himself on hav-ing relationships with everybody. You don’t come to AlBrodeur’s to get your car fixed; you come to Al Brodeur’sto have an experience. That’s why I think we’re in a positionof being able to acquire another piece of property and growthe business even more and now be an epicenter for every-thing automotive.”

Al is currently painting the outside of the new buildingand plans to have an extensive parking lot installed in thefront in time for a special grand opening/ribbon-cuttingceremony and party in late October.

After 45 years in business, Al Brodeur still findstremendous satisfaction in using the skills he honed at theSouth Street Auto Parts location way back in 1969.

“You really have to like what you do,” he says. “I thinkthere’s an artistic element to being a body guy. You’re

restoring something back to what it was originally, and youhave the gratification of seeing that process go on. Insteadof throwing things away, you can actually repair them andkeep them going.”

A glimpse inside the new shop’s detailing area.

MASSACHUSETTS



FEATURE

What are your preliminary sales projections for the 2015Ford F-150? What areas of the country will the vehicle bemarketed to the most?I’m sorry, we don’t share sales projections on our products.Suffice to say, the F-150 is the top-selling vehicle in the US,which makes it popular everywhere. We are appreciative ofour customer’s loyalty and we work very hard, year in andyear out, to design and manufacture a truck that meetstheir expectations and needs. We believe the new 2015 FordF-150 will delight them in its smart technology, efficiencyand hard-working design.

If a repairer has zero past experience with aluminum butwants to take advantage of the opportunity to repair theFord F-150, how much money should they plan to invest inorder to become compliant with the equipment/trainingspecifications and be considered Ford-recognized? Ford estimates it will cost $30,000 to $50,000 for a dealer orbody shop to purchase new equipment needed to repairdamage to aluminum.

What kind of rivet guns should be used on the 2015

F-150?

Here is a full list of equipment (including the rivet gun) werecommend shops purchase for collision work on the newF-150:

What are the primary differences between aluminum repairand steel repair, and how might those differences affect ashop’s ROI and repair rates?We can’t project ROI for shops, but we can say that, inmany cases, the new F-150 will actually be easier to repair.The new F-150’s innovative modular structure will signifi-cantly reduce time of repair, saving costs. Ford has usedaluminum in body parts for years, such as in the hood ofthe 1997 to 2014 F-150.

Apron tube: Can be repaired without dash removalFloorpan: Can be sectioned without requiring complete replacementrocker panel: Can be sectioned without requiring complete replacementsB-pillar: Does not require disturbing the roof to be repaired

How is Ford addressing concerns over volatility and crosscontamination when aluminum dust enters a steel environ-ment (and vice versa) during the repair of the 2015 F-150?We are recommending that dealers and independent shopspurchase separate tools for aluminum repair work and sec-tion-off an area on the shop floor to be used only for alu-minum collision repair work. This does not require aseparate building – our list of recommended tools includesa separation/isolation system curtain that will preventcross-contamination inside the shop.

How does the refinishing process on the 2015 F-150 differfrom a non-aluminum vehicle?The process is the same as the current F-150 and other Fordvehicles that have used aluminum panels since 1997. In re-gards to vehicle paint refinishing for the new F-150, the re-pair facility should follow all guidelines outlined in theirrespective technical information manuals/materials. AllFord Motor Company-approved refinish paint systemshave extensive information in their technical training andsupport materials.

What are the parameters/limits for pulling on the Ford F-150? The vehicle may require anchoring and pulling operationsto correct collision damage. This may be done with theusage of the Ford-recommended solid cab mounts, to allowthe pulling of the vehicle’s aluminum-intensive unibodyalong with any frame damage. With the damaged areas

THE 2015 FORD F-150: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWEREDIn an effort to help the repair industry better prepare for the arrival of the 2015 Ford F-150, we reachedout to Elizabeth Weigandt, dealer communications manager at Ford, to get answers to a variety of questionsoffered to us by readers and industry representatives. We present this question-and-answer session as aguide to Ford’s current position on a number of topics regarding this technologically advanced vehicle.

pulled back to proper dimensional condition, the affectedareas are inspected for cracks, damaged fasteners and anyother concerns, then replacement of any damaged compo-nents may be done per Ford guidelines and procedures.

What are some misconceptions regarding the 2015 Ford F-150 that you have encountered in the collision repair in-dustry that you would like to address?We are often asked whether Ford dealers or independentbody shops have to become certified in aluminum repair toorder Ford Genuine replacement parts or fix the new F-150. Our Ford F-150 Collision Repair Programis not focused on certification; it is focusedon training and helping dealers and independents identify and install theright equipment so they can beready to repair aluminum inthe F-150. Like ourother

vehicles, Ford dealer service staff will be provided withmechanical repair training through Ford’s training classes.I-CAR will also provide collision and body repair trainingdeveloped in conjunction with Ford for both dealershipstaff and independent body shops. Also, Ford will not re-strict which dealers or body shops can purchase Ford Gen-uine OEM collision repair parts to repair the all-new F-150.We recommend dealers and independent shops pursuetraining and purchase the proper equipment necessary tobecome aluminum repair-capable.

“Ford will not restrict which dealers or body shops can purchase Ford Genuine OEM collisionrepair parts to repair the all-new F-150.”


MASSACHUSETTS



LOCAL NEWS

On June 11, longtime AASP/MAmember Fuller Automotive Companies(Auburn) was among the winners of theMassachusetts Family Business of theYear Awards announced by the North-eastern University Center for FamilyBusiness at a celebration event hosted atthe Henderson House in Weston.

Each year, the Northeastern Univer-sity Center for Family Business recog-nizes Commonwealth companies with theMassachusetts Family Business of theYear Awards. Recipients of the Awardsare selected by a panel of independentjudges based on the following criteria:Business success, positive business andfamily linkages, multi-generational familyinvolvement, contributions to the com-munity and industry and innovative busi-ness practices or strategies. FullerAutomotive Companies, who won in the“medium firm” category (25 to 100 em-ployees), was nominated by customerand friend, Senator Michael O. Moore.The long-running business also receivedspecial Certificates of Generational andCentennial Achievement and was recog-nized and welcomed to the 100 Year Club.

Every year, Fuller Automotive do-nates thousands of dollars to various or-ganizations in their community. Thisincludes Auburn Youth and Family Serv-ices and sponsorships of local sportsteams, groups and clubs. Fuller’s mostrecognizable additions to the communityinclude a $10,000 donation to the AuburnHigh School for a new scoreboard in 2009and a $10,000 donation to the PappasSports Complex in 2012. In 2013, FullerAuto Body participated in the “RecycledRides” event along with Hanover Insur-ance and other local vendors. RecycledRides is a nationwide community serviceproject in which Fuller Auto Body, amember of the National Auto Body Coun-cil (NABC), repaired and donated a recy-cled vehicle to family in need in the

AASp/MA Member named

Massachusetts Family Business of the year Photos by Kristyn Ulanday

Josh Fuller of Fuller Auto Body with

his wife Michelle at the Massachusetts

Family Business Awards.

shop’s community. Additionally, Fuller Automotive continues to be standingmembers of the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau and I-CARVolunteer Committee while also devoting time to being involved with thelocal vocational high school by maintaining spots on its Advisory Board andemploying current and former students.

Fuller Auto Body co-owner Josh Fuller was proud to accept the award onbehalf of his family business.

“It was great to see the recognition for our family and everybody who’scontributed over the years,” he says. “It’s a great thing for our employees,too. Over the years, there have been hundreds of employees who have contributed to fulfilling what we stand for – being good to customers and

continued on pg. 37


treating them right.”In recognition to the Northeastern

University honor, the Fuller operationreceived a special “Salute” by theWorcester Chamber of Commerce at aspecial June 19 Breakfast Club meetingat the Beechwood Hotel.

Fuller has been a name in theMassachusetts automotive repair in-dustry since 1914. Now a fourth-gen-

eration family enterprise, Fuller AutoBody is currently owned by Josh andhis brother Chris. The Fuller brand in-cludes Fuller Automotive, Fuller AutoBody, Fuller Pre-Owned Auto Sales(run by family partner Dana Stoico),SpeeDee Oil Change, Fuller Tire Cen-ter and Rapid Auto Rental. All busi-nesses are together at one “campus”on Route 20 in Auburn.

More information on Fuller Auto-motive is available at www.fullerauto

motive.com. More information on theNortheastern University Center forFamily Business can be found atwww.mafba.com.

MASSACHUSETTS


AASp/MA Member named Massachusetts Family Business of the yearcontinued from pg. 33

LOCAL NEWS

what does your insurance company want? do youthink they want the safest repair, or do you think theywant the cheapest repair? with that in mind, why wouldyou bring your car to a place your insurance company rec-ommends?

The above message is being heard in Massachusettsnow more than ever thanks in large part to AASP/MAmember Justin Forkuo (290 Auto Body, Worcester), who hasspent recent times bringing a much-needed media spotlightto consumer safety in the collision repair process.

It all started on June 13, when Forkuo accepted an offerto appear as a guest on The WCRN Morning News with HankStolz (WCRN 830 AM; www.wcrnradio.com). In only a fewminutes, Forkuo was successful in explaining the impor-tance of customers choosing a body shop based on quality,not price.

“I stand for safety; it’s number one for me,” he says.“Safety is not the first thing on the minds of insurance com-panies and those shops that are working for insurance com-panies. Money is the first thing on their minds.”

Forkuo’s appearance on the show led to an increase oflocal attention to his shop, a business that he insists will al-ways perform repairs with the customer – not the insurancecompany – in mind.

“Once I give the message to one person, and they un-derstand it, they want to tell 10 more people,” he says. “Assoon as I give someone the message of how my companyworks and what I’ve built this company on, they under-stand that it’s a whole different world than what they’regoing through – especially the perception that an insurancecompany wants to help you.”

To further illustrate his point, Forkuo compares theauto body world to the Solar System.

“In the Solar System, there are different planets,” he ex-plains. “The core of Planet 290 Auto Body is the consumer,

and the axis is their safety. That’s what makes our planet re-volve. On those other planets, the core is money and theaxis is the insurance company. I’d like to hear one of thoseshops say their consumer is number one if they’re workingfor the insurance company.”

Forkuo’s positive experience on the Hank Stolz’s radioshow has led to other media offers in the area, including anappearance on The Hank Stolz Experience TV show(www.chartertv3.com/default.asp?linKnAMe=The_hA

nK_STolZ_eXperienCe) on July 14 and an upcomingspot on the Black Legacy Presents TV show(www.wccatv.com/video/black-legacy-presents) on August4. Black Legacy Presents is a production of the Black LegacyCoalition, a volunteer group “looking to help make Worces-ter a city where the broader Black community thrives.” Theshow offers diverse perspectives on various topics includ-ing politics, economics, education, arts and youth.

Above all, Forkuo is hopeful that his efforts will go along way in convincing the Worcester motoring public thatthey do not have to use a body shop simply because an in-surer tells them to go there.

“I’ve had people tell me, ‘I thought I had to go there’or “I didn’t know that I could go to another place,’” he re-veals. “It all revolves around what insurance companieshave been telling consumers when they get in accidents. It’ssteering.”

In addition to his AASP/MA membership, Forkuo isactively involved in I-CAR and the National Auto BodyCouncil (NABC). 290 Auto Body is fully certified byHonda, General Motors and Chrysler and is one of the onlyfacilities in the City of Worcester to achieve I-CAR GoldClass status.

More information on Forkuo and 290 Auto Body isavailable at www.290autobody.com andwww.facebook.com/290autobody.

AASp/MA Member Brings

Consumer Message to radio, Tv

MASSACHUSETTS



As the summer season comes to a close, AASP/MA isbusy promoting a series of exciting special events plannedfor the remainder of 2014. The happenings discussed in thisfeature will offer countless opportunities for you and yourstaff to have an unforgettable time while makingAASP/MA a stronger force in the collision repair field.

Family-Friendly industry Support

On September 5, AASP/MA will kick off their fallevent schedule with the MidState Chapter BBQ at the Hud-son Elks in Hudson. A true family-friendly affair, theevening party will feature music, food and prizes andmakes a great way for any AASP/MA member to treattheir employees to a special night out. Additionally, thenight will feature special free meals and raffles for childrenunder 12.

AASP/MA Vice President Molly Brodeur, who helpsorganize the event alongside association members JohnLundy (Imperial Cars) and Tom Ricci (Body & Paint Cen-ter), feels that this year’s event will offer something for

everyone.“We’re really trying to encourage people to bring their

spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends and kids and not worryabout getting a babysitter,” she says.

Beyond hosting great food and good entertainment, theMidState Chapter BBQ exists to support one of the greatestcauses imaginable: The future of the collision repair indus-try. The funds raised by the event go towards theAASP/MA Tool Grant to help Massachusetts automotiverepair programs flourish. This is in line with the associa-tion’s ongoing efforts to build stronger relationships withvocational schools in the state. In addition to hosting a spe-cial “vocational roundtable” with a number of school repre-sentatives earlier this year, AASP/MA recently created aspecial vocational school database with contact info forevery instructor in the area. These dedicated teachers willbe invited to be a part of this year’s BBQ.

“We really want to have instructors and students come,participate and see what it is that we’re doing while havingfun at the event,” Brodeur says.

The Season

inSide AASp/MA’S FAll evenT SChedUle

COVER STORY


Above all, AASP/MA hopes that thisyear’s Tool Grant will be utilized by in-structors in the best way possible.

“We are always trying to make sure weare doing the right thing with the moneythat we’re able to raise,” Brodeur says.“Going forward, one of the things we’regoing to change is making sure that wehave a connection to the recipients and areable to find out what they did with theGrant money. What we heard from the in-structors was that they love the Tool Grant,but they would really love the flexibility todecide how they’re going to use the money.One instructor said they wanted to give itin the form of some tools to one particularstudent, while another said they would re-ally like the money to pay for the I-CARProLevel 1 training they can do now. Ithink it’s important to allow the schools toutilize the money how best they see fit fortheir classroom and their students.”

More information on the AASP/MABBQ (including a list of current sponsors) isavailable on page 11.

Clams & Camaraderie

The MidState BBQ isn’t the only FridayNight AASP/MA gathering worth checkingout next month. On September 26 at thePolish American Club in Feeding Hills, theWestern Chapter will host its annual Clam-bake, an extremely popular event thatdraws hundreds of shops and other indus-try supporters from throughout the area.Even at the end of the week during a busytime of the year, AASP/MA members farand wide wouldn’t miss the Clambake forthe world.

“People talk about the Clambake year-round,” says Western Chapter Acting Presi-dent Dan Lamontagne (White LightningAuto Body). “Everybody looks forward toit; it’s a relaxing night out, and everybodyhas a good time. In all the years I’ve beengoing, I haven’t heard of anybody whosaid, ‘I’m never coming back to this thing.’”

For fellow Clambake Committee mem-ber Gary Cloutier (Cloot’s Auto Body), theevent represents the true meaning of auto-motive community.

“More than anything, it’s the cama-raderie – running into people you haven’tseen in a while,” he says. “It’s about know-

Tournament Sponsor: $7,500

“high roller” Sponsorship: $5,000

exclusive Casino night gift Sponsor: $3,000

“pit Boss” Sponsorship: $2,500

“Card Shark” Sponsorship: $1,500

dinner and dessert Sponsor: $1,000

Board of director Sponsor (2 available): $750

Jim Simeone Texas hold’em

Tournament Sponsor: $1,000

Cribbage Tournament Sponsor: $1,000

gaming Table Sponsor: $750

Spin & win with Bald hill Auto

group Sponsor: $650

Stadium ribbon Screens Sponsor: $500

end Zone Signage Sponsor (Jumbotron): $750

Stadium Tour: $500

Cup Sponsor: $600

Company Table Sponsor: $1,250

2014 Casino night

Sponsorship

opportunitiesgeT TonS oF AddiTionAl eXpoSUre For yoUr

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If you have any questions about the opportunities listed below orwould like more information on becoming a sponsor, please contact

AASP/MA at (617) 574-0741 or [email protected].


ing you’re a part of an association and meeting up withpeople who all have the same issues to deal with. It’s still aDavid and Goliath fight; at [the Clambake], all the Davidsget together.”

Cloutier and his wife Liz will be among the AASP/MAvolunteers who will organize the Polish American Club thenight before. This will include setting up the many amazingprizes offered by an ever-growing list of area vendors andsponsors. Without their strong support, the Clambakewould not be possible.

“It’s a mutual give and take,” Cloutier says. “They sup-port us because we’re buying from them. We need eachother, so that’s why we get such a good turnout.”

A paint sales rep for West Springfield Auto Parts, Clam-bake Committee member Paul Zollner works to spread theword to shops in the region and get sponsors actively in-volved in making the night a success. After already servingthree years on the Committee, he looks forward to doinghis part to make his fourth Clambake experience the bestyet.

“It’s a good time,” he says. “I don’t mind helping out[by] making sure a raffle goes through and everybody hastheir tickets, and by doing little odds and ends just to makesure [the Clambake] goes smoothly.”

Although he is retired from the industry, legendaryMassachusetts industry veteran Mike Beal has been lendinga much-appreciated helping hand throughout the planningstages of this year’s Clambake, assisting in reaching out tosponsors and getting the general logistics of the event inorder. Since he spends most of his current days travelingwith his wife Mary, he is especially excited to touch basewith his many friends in the industry at this year’s event.

“I get to see a lot of people I don’t see throughout theyear,” he says. “Now that I’m retired, [the Clambake] is a‘catch-up’ time.”

Like the other Clambake volunteers, Cloutier is lookingforward to being a part of one of the most enjoyable nightsof the year.

“I don’t look at it like it’s taking anything away frommy time,” he shares. “As far as I’m concerned, you shouldalways be giving something back to the industry you’re in.Whether you’re a body man, a plumber or an electrician, ifyou’re not part of an association, you’re missing out.”

More information on the AASP/MA Clambake (includ-ing a list of current sponsors) is available on page 12.

A (new) night to remember

Of course, no successful AASP/MA event schedulewould be complete without the annual Casino Night.Slated for November 15, this year’s gathering will be heldat an exciting new venue - the Putnam Club in Gillete Sta-dium in Foxborough!

“Since this is AASP/MA’s most popular event amongour members, we want them to feel appreciated for their

continued support and participation, ” offers AASP/MAExecutive Director Jillian Zywien. “Gillette Stadium is theperfect way to show how thankful we are for all their ef-forts throughout the year. We sought to create an event thatmembers could be proud of and also be excited to attendand bring guests. Over the years, this event has continuedto grow; we looked at several venues that would accommo-date expansion. The Putnam Club was hard to beat.”

The event at the Putnam Club will enhance the CasinoNight experience for attendees through AASP/MA’s exclu-sive stadium tours, priceless scenery, expanded gaming ex-perience and a few additional surprises that will berevealed that evening. The association has also improvedthe experience for their valued vendors and sponsors, in-cluding opportunities to advertise in the end zones, on theribbon screens surrounding the stadium and in the associa-tion’s new electronic ad book, which will be displayed onseveral television screens inside the Club. (Vendors andsponsors can find AASP/MA’s new advertising and spon-sor packages on page 41.)

Naturally, the special stadium tours are a very attrac-tive part of the revitalized Casino Night.

“The stadium tours are an exclusive offering to ourmembers this year,” explains Zywien. “Members who signup for the tour will have the privilege of seeing the stadiumfrom a player’s viewpoint! The tour will cover the visitingteam’s locker room, a view from the sidelines and muchmore. Tours will be given at the beginning of the night’sfestivities so as not to affect gaming play.”

As in past years, the 2014 Casino Night will feature aslew of amazing prize offerings. As the event gets closer,please check future issues of New England Automotive Reportand AASP/MA’s Damage Report newsletter for sneak pre-views of these goodies.

While the location and some of the attractions might bedifferent this year, the tradition of togetherness and fun es-tablished over the years at the Casino Night will continueto be at the heart of this amazing annual event.

“Casino Night provides a rare chance for our membersto relax and enjoy spending time with their significant oth-ers, employees and their fellow shop owners,” Zywiensays. “Events like these are what creates a strong andunited community. This opportunity gives all of our hard-working members a night to remember.”

The 2014 Casino Night will sell out. Please go towww.aaspma.org to register online or to receive informa-tion on all of the association’s upcoming events.

COVER STORY

MASSACHUSETTS


Are you still in the groove, excitedeach morning about the opportunitythat awaits you, or are you in a rutstarting to fall back into autopilot,making getting to the end of the dayyour only goal? “Rick,” you may bewondering, “how do I stay in thegroove?” I’m glad you asked! Excite-ment and enthusiasm are the naturalbyproducts when you first start downthe path with a big idea or goal. Overtime, the excitement dwindles, mak-ing it harder to stay motivated and fo-cused. Let me share with you the fiveactions I take that are keeping memoving forward.

1. Feed your mind first. Before youcan help others, you need to care foryourself first. Likening your mind to agarden, thoughts and ideas are seedsplanted every moment you are awake.As the caretaker or gardener, you havethe responsibility to plant, feed andnurture those thoughts (seeds). Youcan neglect your gardening and weeds(negative thoughts) will overrun yourgarden in a very short time. You don’thave to plant weeds; they just happen.Or you can plant seeds that will bearfruit (positive thoughts) and nurturethem daily with effort, it’s your choice.I choose to work my garden every dayby starting each morning thinking offive things I am truly grateful for andthen follow that up by reading or lis-tening to something positive for fiveor 10 minutes. At the end of each day,I review my successes of the day andonce again, read or listen to somethingpositive for 5 or 10 minutes. Every-thing starts in your mind, so be carefulwhat you allow in.2. Keep your eye on the prize. Youneed to remind yourself constantly ofwhere you are going. I do three thingsevery morning to reinforce my focuson my desired destination. First, I

“visit” the image of my destination inmy mind. I close my eyes and I can ac-tually see and feel what it looks like.My image is so clear that it gets mepumped up and ready to rock. It onlytakes a moment, and I do this in themorning, at lunchtime and just before

stopping for the day. Second, I writedown my goals every morning andnight. Again, this takes just a minuteto do and reinforces my destination.The third thing I do is keep my visionboard in front of me all the time. It’sthe background on my computer and


groove or rUT?by Rick White

180BIZ FEATURE

phone, and I have it printed out in mybedroom and bathroom. A visionboard is simply a collection of picturesthat represent my goals visually. If youwould like to see my vision board, letme know and I will share it with you.3. don’t just think about what you

want; take action towards achieving

it. Don’t get stuck in analysis paraly-sis, overthinking and scheming...doing nothing. I find that taking delib-erate action towards my goals keepsme excited and enthusiastic because I

am actually doing something! Try it;you will be amazed at just how invig-orating this one step is!4. Measure, measure, measure. It isimperative that you are able to meas-ure your progress as you move to-wards your destination. Like losingweight, seeing progress feeds yourmotivation to continue and feeds thefeelings you get from taking action.You must measure daily, track yourprogress and make adjustments asneeded. Remember to stay firm on

your destination and flexible on howyou get there.5. Celebrate often. Waiting until youget to your final destination before cel-ebrating can actually work againstyou. At some point you may think,“Why bother?” What you want to dois celebrate all the time! It might be assimple as a fist pump followed by abig old “YES!” to something moreelaborate. These smaller celebrationskeep you excited and wanting to re-ward yourself more. So if you want toincrease sales, instead of waiting untilyou realize your sales goal to cele-brate, celebrate when you get a referralor get up early to visit that fleet thatyou’ve wanted. See what I mean?The bottom line is that motivationdoesn’t last forever. You have to setyourself up daily for wins along theway that will keep you pumped up,focused and on fire. Like Zig Ziglarsays, “People often say motivation doesn’tlast. Neither does bathing—that’s why werecommend it daily.”

Stay motivated and see the

greATneSS within you!


About rick white

& one eighty

Business Solutions

Rick White is a man-aging member of OneEighty Business Solu-tions (180BIZ), a Vir-ginia based coachingand business solutionsprovider to the auto-motive and truck repair industries. Rick’sclients consider him a trusted advisor, helpingthem to increase profits and free time while re-ducing stress. If you would like more businesstips and thoughts just like this, please visit ourFacebook page at www.facebook.com/180biz.180BIZ provides affordable, down to earth, one-on-one business coaching with no long-termcommitments and a money-back guarantee! Tosee how we can help you and your business,please email us at [email protected] or call(540) 833-2014.

180BIZ FEATURE

MASSACHUSETTS



Audi Group ......................................................48

Axalta Coating Systems ....................................4

Bald Hill Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram ..............27

Balise Wholesale Parts Express ......................44

Baystate Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge......................42

Bernardi Group............................................30-31

Best Chevrolet ................................................IFC

BMW Group ................................................38-39

BMW/Mini of Warwick ..................................46

Clay Subaru ........................................................8

Colonial Auto Group........................................54

Empire Auto Parts ..............................................9

Enterprise ..........................................................23

First Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram ....................23

First Ford............................................................23

First Hyundai ....................................................23

Ford Group ........................................................36

Future Cure........................................................21

Goyette’s Inc. Auto Parts ..................................9

Honda Group ....................................................53

Hyundai Group ................................................55

Imperial Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep........................11

Imperial Ford ....................................................36

Infiniti of Norwood ..........................................51

IRA Group ....................................................14-15

Jaffarian Toyota/Volvo ....................................50

Kelly Automotive Group ..............................IBC

Linder’s, Inc. ....................................................58

Long Automotive Group ............................OBC

Mazda Group ....................................................47

McLaughlin Chevrolet ....................................25

Mopar Group ....................................................57

NORTHEAST® 2015 ..........................................7

Nissan Group ....................................................26

Nissan World of Dartmouth............................43

PPG ......................................................................3

Robertsons GMC Truck....................................43

Sarat Ford-Lincoln ............................................29

Sentry Group ......................................................6

Subaru Group ..............................................34-35

Tasca Group ......................................................32

Toyota Group ....................................................18

Toyota of Nashua..............................................52

Village Auto Group ..........................................56

VW Group..........................................................22

Wellesley Toyota/Scion ..................................42

AD INDEX


ATTENTIONAASP/MA MEMBERS:

HAVE YOU REGISTERED ON THE ASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE???

Don’t miss out on important AASP/MA updates, events and

news! http://aaspma.org/index.php?/register/2012-aasp.

Cut & paste this address into your browser to get started!

MASSACHUSETTS


New England Automotive Report August 2014

Documents

Transcript of New England Automotive Report August 2014